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Fueling the Revitalization of Petroleum Brownfields

October 14, 2008 |

The abandoned corner gas station can look toward a new life with an action plan that focuses on cleaning up brownfields sites contaminated with petroleum. EPA's plan, "Petroleum Brownfields Action Plan: Promoting Revitalization and Sustainability," describes specific actions, new tools, and opportunities for expanding partnerships to foster the reuse of sites. The petroleum brownfields program focuses on assessing, cleaning up, and reusing petroleum-contaminated brownfields sites.

"The action plan builds on the progress already made by EPA's abandoned underground tank program and brownfields program," said Susan Parker Bodine, assistant administrator of EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. "Cleaning up and revitalizing petroleum brownfields sites, such as abandoned gas stations, is important to the environmental and economic health of communities across our country."

In the plan, EPA identifies four strategic initiatives, each with specific actions and activities to achieve the agency's goals:

Bolster communication and outreach to petroleum brownfields stakeholdersProvide targeted support to state, tribal, and local governmentsExplore and evaluate policies to facilitate increased petroleum brownfields site revitalizationForge partnerships to promote investment in and the sustainable reuse of petroleum brownfields

EPA will work with a broad array of external stakeholders to implement the action plan and ensure that each of the plan's strategic initiatives is designed and carried out effectively.